Chapter 3: Brother, Is This Sincerity Enough?

Jiang Ran turned his back, two pieces of paper stuffed in his nostrils, squatting as he wiped the dripping blood from the floor.

Damn, seeing a woman still have a nosebleed would completely ruin his lifelong reputation!

Su Ruan put on the clothes; they were a bit big, hanging loosely on her.

Although the style wasn't very trendy, the fabric was fine—it must have been from Xiao Lang Gou's mother.

"Cold medicine."

Su Ruan turned around, looking at the cold medicine and warm water in Xiao Lang Gou's hand, somewhat surprised.

She had thought a pampered young master like him wouldn't care about others, but she was wrong...

"What are you looking at? If the young master wanted to do something to you, he'd have done it already—no need to wait until now. There's nothing inside, so eat it quickly, or with that frail frame of yours you'll definitely get a fever and a cold tomorrow."

Xiao Lang Gou, without being stiff, expressed his concern.

Su Ruan also felt that this body was really too weak; at about 1.6 meters tall, she estimated she weighed around eighty jin.

Purely malnourished. Yet that little flesh grew exactly where it should, which pleased her a lot.

After Su Ruan finished the medicine, she lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Ran.

"Thank you. If it hadn't been you tonight, I would definitely have been taken by that bastard..."

Su Ruan stopped mid-sentence; a dimple appeared on her obedient, soft, fair face as she smiled.

"If I get the chance, I'll repay you. Right now I'm in a hurry to go home and handle things; see you later."

Watching Su Ruan's departing back, Jiang Ran curled his lip and muttered, "You didn't even ask my name, yet you say you'll repay me, you little liar..."

After leaving the Jiang Family, Su Ruan went straight back to the Su Family.

Compared with the Jiang Family's two-story red-brick house with its own courtyard, the Su Family's house could only be described as dilapidated.

She had just stepped inside when she heard a raging shout with a voice like a male duck in puberty.

"I said I won't marry, and I won't!"

"That Jiang Jiaojiao is arrogant and overbearing; the Jiang Family cradles her like a treasure! She's already driven away two former fiancés; who would dare to marry her!"

"You little brat! The Jiang Family is such a good household! Jiang Jiaojiao's father is the Factory Director of a Garment Factory, her mother a hospital doctor! They're now looking to take a son-in-law, otherwise why would you think this good thing could fall on you?"

"I don't care; I'm scared! Even if you gave me two thousand, I wouldn't marry into the family, let alone just a thousand!"

Su Ruan's mouth twitched slightly; not marrying into the family is good—if she doesn't, she'll have a chance.

"Big brother is right; big brother can't marry into the family."

Su Ruan walked in, and everyone in the Su Family was startled; Wang Juhua's reaction was especially strong, and she stood up immediately.

"Why did you come back!"

Su Ruan showed a perfectly timed hint of puzzlement.

"Mom, what do you mean by that? Should I not have come back?"

"Of course not!" Su Yanhua stepped forward, took Wang Juhua's hand, and said with a forced smile, "What Mom means is, why did you come back so late."

"When I went out for a walk, I felt my whole body heat up and accidentally fell into the river. Fortunately, a passing older woman rescued me and even gave me her clothes to wear."

Only then did everyone's gaze fall on the clothes she was wearing; the style was old, but the fabric was excellent—clearly something a poor family couldn't afford.

Could tonight's plan have fallen through?

A feeling of irritation rose in Wang Juhua's heart; this thing that does more harm than good left her bewildered, unable to even understand a woman.

"Dad, Mom, I also don't support letting big brother marry into the Jiang Family."

Su Dazhuang frowned and cursed, "You lowly brat, what do you know? Is it because you find me unpleasant and want to cut off your father's money flow!"

"No, Dad!" Su Ruan said, feigning grievance, "On my way back I saw Jiang Jiaojiao and her close friend, and they were talking about marrying into the family."

Su Yaozu immediately grew nervous, "What did they say?"

"Jiang Jiaojiao said she just wants to find a man she can easily control, someone who must be good-looking; whether he has ability doesn't matter. The most important thing is obedience—if he's not obedient, she'll beat him into obedience."

"Since it's about marrying into the family, as long as she doesn't kill him, it's fine."

Su Ruan's voice was soft and syrupy; to Su Yaozu's ears, it sounded no different from a demon speaking.

"Dad! Are you listening! Did you hear! You can't let your son lose his life just because of money!"

Su Dazhuang hadn't expected it to turn out like this; worried, he took a sip of wine.

"So what do you suggest we do! The family now owes a mountain of debt, my mechanical factory's work just got scrapped, and the five of us have no decent jobs! Are we all just waiting to starve, drinking the northwest wind?!"

While everyone was at a loss, Su Ruan realized her chance had arrived.

She said, with a concern for everyone, "Although big brother can't marry into the family, I could marry over there!"

Instantly, the whole room's gazes fell on her, filled with startled doubt.

Su Yanhua looked at her, unable to put it into words, and said, "Su Ruan, are you crazy? There's no way two women, that kind of thing..."

Su Ruan's mouth twitched slightly; she had to admire Su Yanhua's imagination.

"Second sister, what are you thinking!" A thin blush spread across Su Ruan's face, "I meant marrying the youngest son of Factory Director Jiang!"

"Jiang Ran?" Wang Juhua frowned, scanned Su Ruan, then her eyes lit up, "It's not impossible? I heard that wayward Jiang Ran likes a type like Su Ruan!"

Su Dazhuang's eyes also lit up, and Su Yanhua laughed out.

Su Ruan calmly observed all their reactions.

Jiang Ran hasn't started his own venture yet, so they all think he's a freeloader.

"Alright! Then you get married!"

Su Dazhuang slammed the table, deciding, "If you really can marry in, I'll give you a dowry of fifty coins!"

Only fifty... Su Ruan rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking it's a pittance.

"Alright, alright, that's good! A woman luring a man is still..." Su Yaozu clapped his hands and said, "And to think they've been at the Billiard Hall all these mornings, hitting the balls perfectly!"

The next day, before Su Ruan could wake up, Wang Juhua called her out of bed.

"This was originally a new Skirt for your sister; I'm lending it to you for now. Today you must secure Jiang Ran, or you'll have trouble."

Su Ruan changes into a red Skirt, looks at herself in the mirror, smiles briefly, then turns and leaves.

In the Billiard Hall, Jiang Ran sinks a ball with one stroke, and a chorus of cheers erupts around.

"What's up with Grandpa Ran today? He looks so absent‑minded?"

Jiang Ran also wonders what's wrong with him, why the woman from last night keeps filling his mind.

"Jiang Ran, are you there?"

A timid voice broke the lively scene; Jiang Ran frowned, turned, and the next second his eyes widened.

"This—this—this! Isn't this the little cheat who flirted with him last night!"

"Little beauty, what do you want from Grandpa Ran?"

Shi Tou's hand brushed Jiang Ran's torso, and even a clueless Su Ruan realized the little puppy who rescued her last night was actually Jiang Ran.

She slipped her tongue to lick her own tiny fang.

It came effortlessly.

She walked step by step to Jiang Ran, tilted her head slightly, and sweetly said, "Big brother, I'm repaying you—how about I give myself to you?"

The crowd gasped, Jiang Ran was shocked for a moment, but not to lose face he forced composure and said, "You want to marry the young master? Then you'll have to show some sincerity!"

A burst of jeering rose around; Su Ruan frowned slightly, a trace of grievance flickering in her eyes.

But the next second she slowly untied the silk scarf from Jiang Ran's hand and gently draped it over the man's neck.

Jiang Ran stiffened abruptly, feeling the back of his neck wrapped in an icy, slick cloth, sending a strange sensation through him.

The next instant Su Ruan's fingers pinched the two ends of the veil and pulled gently downward—

The force was slight, yet it carried an extremely ambiguous hint.

"Big brother, I don't know—does this sincerity suffice…"

The little puppy blushed, blood dripping, stammering, "Enough… enough… nonsense!"